Reversed
by RippledWaterx3
Summary: He always protected her. But this time it's reversed. This time, it's her turn. HaruxRin, spoilers for volumes seventeen nineteen, short one shot.


**Reversed**

**By Larien**

**Summary: **He always protected her. But this time it's reversed. This time, it's her turn. HaruxRin, spoilers for volumes seventeen - nineteen, short one shot.

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Rin has all her imperfect flaws.

She has a poison tongue that you wouldn't want to be exposed to if you're weakhearted. She has a carefree attitude which pretty much makes you think she has no morals. She has her skimpy clothing which attracts all the perverts in town. She has her own secret reasons for what ever she's doing. She never lets anyone help her, not even when she can't stand. Most of all, she's part of the curse.

The one and only zodiac curse in the Sohma family. She can't help it. That's one flaw that she couldn't change...even if she wanted to.

But Haru will deal with all this. He will stick by Rin's side. He has never regretted meeting her. Loving her. Caring for her. Haru will never leave. Haru will always care. Haru will always hold an unreplaceable spot in his heart for Rin. After all, she is his Rin. His one and only. His soulmate.

They were meant to be. They were destined. But Rin's imperfect flaw tore them apart.

She hurt Haru to protect him. She had let Akito hurt her to protect Haru. She had broken up with him, to keep him safe. But Haru doesn't know...that everything she does, she does it for him.

Rin smiled when Akito pushed her out of the second story window at Akito's house. She smiled because Haru would be safe. Akito wouldn't harm Haru also if she'd already harmed Rin. Rin knew this. That's why she smiled. But secretly, she was crying. She knew that if she didn't break the curse, she wouldn't be with Haru.

Never.

Haru doesn't know. Haru is ignorant to everything Rin is doing. Only Yuki has figured it out. Yuki knows what Rin is doing. She wants to break it. She wants to break Haru's curse so that he will be free. Free from this painful existence that he told her mother about when they were little.

Rin knows that Haru is hurting inside when she ignores him and spits her venemous words at him. He doesn't know how much she's hurting herself when he walks away dejected though.

Lately though, Haru seems to be more aware. He seems to realize. But only after Hiro told him.

_Rin...she was pushed out the window by Akito-san. Rin nee-chan didn't want Haru-nii getting hurt! That's why she broke up with Haru-nii. Rin nee-chan wants to break the curse. She wants to break Haru-nii's curse! _

She'd heard from Kureno that day. Haru had stormed in and nearly killed Akito. Just hours earlier, she'd let Akito cut off her beautiful black hair...it was now short, jagged, and uneven. But she bit her lip and let Akito go through with it. Because she was doing it for Haru. Everything was for Haru.

Even her existence.

She swore she wouldn't die even though she was being starved. If she died...no one would break Haru-kun's curse. No one would even try. No one but her.

Before Haru had nearly killed Akito though, Kureno took Rin to Hatori who took her to the hospital. She didn't even realize it. She was fighting her will to die. She was fighting death. She fought for Haru.

Kureno knew this because all she did was mumble his name.

Haru. Haru. Haru.

Over and over again. It was nothing but Haru.

Kureno told Hatsuharu this. He also tried to kill Kureno to let him see Rin. His Rin. The Rin he was fighting for also.

Neither of them know that the other is fighting for them. Haru doesn't know that Rin is fighting for him. Rin doesn't know that Haru is fighting for her.

Hatori took him to the hospital where Rin was at. On the way...Hatori talked and Haru listened.

_You know, Haru-kun, everything that Rin does...is for you._

Haru fought back the urge to argue. He had to listen. He had to know.

_Her words. Her attitude. Everything. She does it for you. She wants to free you. She's come to ask me, Shigure, even Akito her--- himself on how to break the curse. She doesn't want you to know. She wants to do this by herself. She even offered Shigure herself if he told her how to break the curse. She wants to do something special for you...to thank you for all that you've done. You know, all she wants...is for you to hold her close to your heart._

Hatsuharu remembers all the times that Rin came to him in the middle of the night crying. Because she had another nightmare. But when he stroked her long black hair and lifted her face up, she always managed to smile. He asked why.

_Because Haru is here, it's okay. _

That's all she wanted. For Haru to be hers...and hers alone. For Haru to treasure her as much as she treasured him.

When they got to the hospital, Haru went in to her room quietly. He saw Rin's exhausted, pale face. He saw her jagged hair, all cut in different lengths. He saw her chest rise slowly up and down. He saw tears run down her face. He saw her cut up clothes. He wanted to cry.

Cry for Rin's pain. Cry for his selfishness. Cry for not being able to protect her.

"Rin." He said softly and sat down beside her.

She was silent. She didn't answer him.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I failed you. I promised you...I promised to...aishiteruu kimi wata no desu. I promised to love you and protect you forever. I'm sorry Rin." He broke down and buried his face into her abdomen.

This time, it was Rin who comforted Haru.

"It's okay. Because everything I do. I do it for you. I will continue to fight for you...as long as Haru knows. As long as Haru cares. As long as Haru loves me." Rin runs her fingers weakly through his black and white hair.

He looks up.

"I will Rin. I will care. I will love you. And this time...I will protect you. I can't fail you again. Gods, I'm so stupid." He looks at her. "Why? Why all for me?"

"Because I love you, baka." She smiles weakly. "It's because I care that I try to push you away. It's because I don't want you hurt is why I pretend."

He hasn't seen her smile in forever.

"Forgive me...for all my imperfect flaws, Haru. The flaws that have hurt you." She says.

"I don't care about your imperfect flaws. As long as they're part of you I'll see right through them...and back to you."

When Hatori comes back for Haru, he sees Hatsuharu, leaning on Rin, fast asleep. This time, it's Rin who has her arms around Hatsuharu. This time, it's her protecting him. This time, it's reversed.

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**Fin.**


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